In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 701 A Fierce Battle to the Death, the Merger of the Jurchens

In the mountains and forests of Liaodong, tigers represent bravery and majesty.
Furthermore, they possess a vast territory, and any powerful enemy that enters their territory will be killed.

The Jianzhou Jurchens, situated between Liaodong and Goryeo, were caught in a pincer movement, yet maintained communication with both sides.
Their combat strength was much higher than that of the Haixi Jurchen and the Wild Jurchen.

Iron equipment such as warhorses, iron armor, and weapons were not scarce for them.
The Jianzhou Tiger Cavalry were among the best!
Once you become a member of the Tiger Cavalry, you will have a large enough territory, cattle, sheep and women among the various tribes of the Jianzhou Jurchens.

Now, the departure of over a thousand Jianzhou Tiger Cavalry has indeed brought a tremendous change to the battlefield's morale.

Those mounted cavalrymen were broad-shouldered and burly.

They were all burly and robust, each standing eight feet tall.
Covered in iron armor, or wielding a large sword,

Or they would wield long sticks and spiked clubs, charging through with terrifying force!
"Cavalry, march out of camp!"

After the Jianzhou Tiger Cavalry left the camp, Huang Yingzhi had no time to think and quickly ordered the cavalry to leave the camp.

Although the Jianzhou Cavalry were renowned for their prowess, the Ming army's elite cavalry was equally formidable.
Although they are physically weaker, their weapons and equipment are much better!

However, the addition of the Jianzhou Jurchens cast a shadow over his heart.
The three Jurchen tribes have actually united! What on earth is Liaodong doing?!

On the battlefield, both sides tacitly avoided the central battlefield of the camp and spread out to the east and west.

After a period of entanglement, exchanging arrows and crossbow bolts, they collided violently!
Long swords swung and horses thrashed about, creating chaos.

The two cavalry units quickly parted ways, each leaving behind over a hundred corpses.
They didn't stop, but rushed to a distance.

After circling around in a big loop, the collision begins again!
Both sides understood that elite cavalry was the lifeline of the infantry.
Once the enemy cavalry is wiped out, morale will surely soar.

Huang Yingzhi watched as the two sides became entangled, his expression grave.

Originally, such exchanges were not unusual in the Ming army.
Because the Ming Dynasty had a large population, it maintained a standing army of one million soldiers!
But now, isolated in Liaodong, the Jianzhou Tiger Cavalry is few in number.
The cavalry of Tianjin Wei also failed to receive reinforcements, so both sides were essentially on equal footing.

Huang Yingzhi held a telescope and looked across the battlefield at the Jurchen camp on the other side.

Thanks to his superior weaponry, he spotted three people standing on a high platform opposite him.

The leader was at least eight feet tall and had a bulky build.
He appeared to be wearing full armor, while the two people beside him looked much more normal.
They were all clad in iron armor, exuding an aura of power. Huang

Yingzhi knew that the three people in front of her were probably the real instigators of this Liaodong raid, and the masterminds behind the inside-outside collusion.

If I'm not mistaken, the three should belong to the Jianzhou Jurchen, Haixi Jurchen, and Wild Jurchen respectively.
He is the leader of one of the three forces involved.

Inside the Jurchen camp, Baturuhan stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze sharp as an eagle, watching the battlefield ahead.

When he saw the two cavalrymen collide violently, he turned his head to look to one side.
"Bayan, you've been defeated by someone like this?"

Urguchen Bayan is the leader of the Haixi Jurchen Ula tribe and was also the one who was forced to abandon his camp a few days ago.

He spoke in a deep, muffled voice:
"Be careful of these Ming people, they are very powerful."

The Jurchen chieftain, Uleshi, nodded in deep agreement.

"That's right, the Ming people were very capable."

Baturuhan glanced at the two of them and chuckled.

"I think you've been terrified by the Ming people."
They are all mortal beings, not as strong as you or me, how could they possibly defeat us?

All three were in their thirties, at the peak of their lives.

Unlike the Ming Dynasty, the Jurchens fought fiercely here.

If one falls from their peak, they will be easily caught up and defeated.
As tribal chiefs, they were the strongest men in the entire tribe.

"It's best to be careful; we haven't received any specific information yet."

We don't know how many troops Tianjin has mobilized this time, so be careful not to capsize unexpectedly.

Bayan spoke calmly, his hand already gripping the curved sword at his waist.

After two attempts to persuade him, Baturuhan finally took it seriously and nodded almost imperceptibly.
"These Ming people have broken their promise; they said they would tell us the detailed arrangements."
It vanished as soon as I got close; how strange!
We should stay away from people who lack integrity.

"What kind of talk is this? Wasn't it you who pushed for us to get involved with the Ming people?"

Ulshi, the leader of the wild Jurchens, sneered.

"The cooperation is only temporary; we still can't do without the support of the Ming people."

But once we become powerful, we must turn the tables and take control of Liaodong.

"Then we'll be self-sufficient and won't need to ask anyone for anything."

Baturuhan looked at the battlefield ahead with a gloomy expression.

All three of them knew what those words meant.

The Jurchens could no longer continue fighting amongst themselves.

It was precisely because of their lack of unity that the Ming people were able to exploit them so ruthlessly.

Grain that is worthless in the open,
In their hands, it's more valuable than gold!

"It's difficult."

Bayan sighed.
"I brought four elite units with me this time. Each of these four units has its own agenda, let alone the people who are located in three different places."

Baturuhan's voice remained unchanged, yet carried a resolute tone:
"We have to try. We can't let the Ming people bully us like this."
Now that old bastard Tang Shengzong is gone, we don't need to be afraid anymore.

The person in charge of Liaodong right now is a young man, still inexperienced, and easy to manage.

Ullershi sighed softly:
"Don't underestimate him; once he leaves, he'll cut off our food supply."
They've essentially seized our lifeline, forcing us to cooperate with them.

He looked at the Ming soldiers fighting fiercely ahead and shook his head:

"It's strange that with such elite soldiers, they would still kill each other."

Bayan smiled:
"You don't know this, do you? There's an old saying from the Ming Dynasty: 'A small temple has a big demonic wind.'"

Liaodong is a large area, and the evil winds there are even stronger.

He's pressuring us to send troops, so let's take this opportunity to get together and discuss things.

"Our three departments can't fight amongst ourselves; we must unite against a common enemy."

"That's right, back when Emperor Shengzong of Tang was alive..."
Just as we were about to get closer, he charged at us with his knife.
They'll either kill us or rob us; we have no way to complain.

"This young man has actually gotten us to gather together on our own initiative; we couldn't be happier!"

Baturuhan burst into laughter, laughing heartily.

He looked at the battlefield ahead and said in a deep voice:
"But too many people died in this battle; they were all brave warriors."

"The weather has been strange this year. If some people don't die, we won't have enough food to eat."

Ulshi, the leader of the wild Jurchens, was quite aware of the situation.

When the topic of food came up, all three of them became somewhat somber.

Liaodong is covered with mountains, and winter can easily last for several months.

Even if one could cultivate the land, one could only plant one crop, with a meager harvest.

As a result, their tribe's population has always remained around one million.

Batu Luhan said softly:
"I have an idea. If we win this battle..."

We should take advantage of this opportunity to advance elsewhere and find other opportunities.

"Where? Korea?" Bayan asked.

"Goryeo is no good. Goryeo is the Ming Dynasty's own son. It would be difficult to explain if we attacked them."

"That is?"

"How are the Uriyangkhads? They've become Ming garrisons now."

But they are ultimately a foreign tribe, and not located in Liaodong, so attacking them would cause far less of a stir.

Baturuhan gestured with his chin toward Bayan, his expression questioning.

Bayan looked somewhat embarrassed and shook his head:
"We discovered two months ago that the defenses of the Uriyangkhai Three Guards were inadequate."

They didn't even know we crossed through Haramulin.

But because of the Ming Dynasty, I fought against the steppe people and plundered many good things.

"We won?" Baturuhan's face lit up with excitement, his eyes shining.

"Great victory! Everyone says the people of the grasslands are formidable, but I haven't seen them that formidable."
Before us warriors, they are utterly vulnerable.

"Good! You Haixi Jurchens are strong enough!"

Baturuhan praised sincerely, and then spoke thoughtfully:
"However, the Uriyangkhai region is still better, since it borders you. Why don't you give it a try?"

He looked at Ullershi with a questioning expression.

Ullershi's face was full of apprehension:
“The Uriyangkhai Three Guards are not to be trifled with. Back then, the Liao King Azashili bullied us terribly.”

I was not even ten years old then, when he and Nahachu led their troops in and stormed in.
"I only escaped by hiding in the bear's den." "Scared?" Baturuhan asked in surprise.

"The Liao king is old, and Toruhuchar is a formidable character."

However, I heard that he was defeated by a young general from the Ming Dynasty, and has been somewhat quiet for the past two years. It might be worth a try.”

"it is good!"

Batu Luhan did not hesitate at all:

"After this battle is over, before the snow melts, let's go to Uliangha!"

We have to get some ironware back no matter what.
Let all those who look down on us see that the Jurchens are capable of fighting!

Bayan smiled:
"I have ten thousand men stationed in Halamulin, intending to launch a surprise attack on the left flank of Liaodong."

It seems unnecessary now.

"Let them hold their positions; we'll join them later."

"Good! Great!"

Baturuhan was in a better mood than ever before.

First defeat the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong, then defeat the Uriyangkhai.
With such a prestigious reputation spreading, the world will take the Jurchens seriously!

"Don't think too much about it yet, let's focus on winning the battle ahead," Uleshi reminded them, bringing them back to their senses.

Batu Luhan smiled and encouraged them:
"With several times the number of troops as the Ming army, how can we not win?"

Once their elite troops are exhausted from training, then send in another wave.
"The battle will not stop until Lingchuan Slope is captured; we will wear them down, even if it means attrition!"

After saying that, he turned back to look at the returning camp and waved his hand vigorously:
"Deploy another three thousand troops to attack their flank!"

Bayan laughed when he saw this.

"Fortunately, this time we're eating Ming Dynasty food."

Otherwise, with so many people on the way, they would starve to death on the way.

"Hahaha, eating the Ming people's food and fighting the Ming people's soldiers, is there anything more enjoyable in this world?"

The three of them burst into laughter, and their voices carried far.
Time passed, and the battle at Lingchuanpo continued unabated, with fierce fighting raging without pause.

Two days have passed, and the rotation of troops on both sides has reached its limit.

On the Tianjin side, all soldiers have gone into battle and have achieved some success.

But they didn't rejoice hastily; they simply found it somewhat absurd.
The Jurchen people before them seemed tireless.
Keep attacking! Keep attacking!
The battle line has moved from the initial gates of the Jurchen camp,
They were pushed back to the entrance of the Lingchuanpo camp.

It wasn't that the soldiers of Tianjin Wei couldn't break through.
Rather, these clever methods allow soldiers to conserve their energy to the greatest extent possible by utilizing the defenses of the camp.

Just like the trenches that were filled in a few days ago,
These are all methods used out of necessity.

At this moment, the sounds of battle cries still filled the air.

The camp's fence had been riddled with holes.
The spear thrust and stabbed repeatedly, digging deep into the flesh.

Then twist it forcefully and pull it out sharply.
And so, a life vanished silently.

It is worth mentioning that the Jianzhou Jurchens were very particular about their work.

They would drag away the dead and wounded soldiers, and not just pile them up below the camp.

On the fortified wall above the camp, Huang Yingzhi hadn't slept for two days.
His face was covered in oil, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked emaciated.
He looked down through the camp fence at the Jurchen people climbing upwards.
A shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes as he took the crossbow from a nearby soldier.
Aim at the head of a Jurchen who had climbed halfway up the mountain, and pull the trigger hard!
"bang"

The distance was too close; the whistling sound of the arrows didn't even have time to escape.

The Jurchen woman's forehead was pierced by the arrow, and red and white substances sprayed out. She fell backward in a daze.

The death of one person did not affect the course of the battle; on the contrary, it fueled the arrogance of the Jurchens below.

They shouted and cursed as they struggled upwards.
He was speaking in a string of mountain dialect.
However, judging from his expression, it seemed like he was cursing someone.

Huang Yingzhi suddenly stood up straight, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice:

"Pour in the hot oil!"

"Yes!"

The messenger responded immediately, running to the side to relay the order.

But Yao Xiujie, looking disheveled and with one arm in a sling, came closer:
"Sir, there's not much hot oil left."

"The Jurchens are currently riding high on morale. If we don't stop them, the consequences will be unimaginable. How much grain do we have left?" Huang Yingzhi asked softly.

"My lord, all the soldiers have joined the battle, and the food is being consumed too quickly. We can't even last two more days."

Worry flashed in Yao Xiujie's eyes, and he gritted his teeth.

"Keep the news under wraps, don't let the brothers know."

Yao Xiujie hesitated several times before finally gritting his teeth and saying:

"Sir, the brothers in the army should already be aware of this."

Over the past half-day, some soldiers have been intentionally or unintentionally loitering near the granary, trying to check the remaining grain supplies.

Huang Yingzhi closed her eyes and tried to calm her increasingly rapid breathing.
"Ignore it. Has Tieling Guard responded yet?"

"My lord, not yet."

What did Mei Yi say?

"He's a bit panicked now, he hasn't slept all night, I think he's scared too."

"You're right to be afraid. If we can't hold this camp, he'll be the first one we kill!"

Huang Yingzhi gritted her teeth, and blood seeped from her gums.

"Send the order to the cooks to prepare the warhorse carcasses collected over the past few days."

Yao Xiujie raised an eyebrow, wanting to stop him but not knowing what to say.

Horse meat is not tasty, and once the army starts eating horse meat, it means they have run out of ammunition and food.

But given the current state of things, there's no time to worry about that now.

"Sir, why don't you go first?"

After hesitating for a long time, Yao Xiujie finally spoke his mind.

Huang Yingzhi turned around abruptly, looking at him with some surprise, then let out a sneer:
"What nonsense are you talking about? The war is not over yet. I am the commander-in-chief. How can I leave?"

Having said that, Huang Yingzhi gripped his long sword and strode away, leaving only one voice behind:
"We'll defend today, and tonight the brothers will have a big meal."
"Organize another attack tomorrow to attempt to breach the enemy's camp!"

Yao Xiujie's pupils flickered slightly, and he responded with a sound of agreement.
"Yes!"

A day passes in the blink of an eye, and the fighting has not yet ceased.

The constant noise has even made many soldiers used to it, and they are able to fall asleep peacefully in this environment.

At dawn, the sounds of battle continued.

Soldiers in Tianjin, who had rested for a day, began to gather, preparing for today's final offensive.
Huang Yingzhi did not stand on the high platform this time.

Instead, he rode his warhorse and approached the three thousand men before him.
His words were extremely simple, failing to ignite the soldiers' fighting spirit but merely strengthening their resolve to defeat the enemy.

"Brothers, you must already know that the army's provisions are running low."

This proactive advance today is our last chance!

If we can break through the Jurchen camp in front of us, we will have an endless supply of food.

We can drink and eat to our hearts' content!

"This time, I will fight alongside you all, and we are determined to achieve victory in one fell swoop!"

Huang Yingzhi drew his long sword, and despite being exhausted, he still strained his throat and let out a loud shout:
"Soldiers, follow me to kill the enemy!"

"kill--"

The camp gates swung open with a roar, and Huang Yingzhi charged out first.
In the Jurchen camp, Baturu was astonished to see three thousand soldiers charge out with an air of certain death, their eyes gleaming and a broad smile playing on their lips.
"Good, good, good!"

"The entire army is ready; the elite cavalry and soldiers are marching out of the camp."

They are exhausted soldiers; let me crush them head-on!
Let the world see how powerful we Jurchens are!

"call--"

The camp gates were wide open, and cavalry and infantry lined up on either side, swarming out.
A great battle is about to begin
On the hillside not far to the east of Lingchuan Slope, at the top of the tree canopy,
Qin Yuanfang clung tightly to a dead branch, his entire body hanging outside the tree canopy, his telescope zoomed in as close as possible!
He took in the scene of the Lingchuanpo battlefield.

"Good heavens, what's going on? Are they all out of their minds?"

(End of this chapter)